Well you've gotta remember this is early 1900s. Criminal justice system was very different then. Average life span at the time was much shorter, so 5 years would've seemed longer and reasonable at the time compared to today
So I looked it up, they lived about 46 from what I can find ( but I'm pretty sure that's including dead babies ) but let's say it is. Compared to today it would be about half. 10 years ( today ) for chopping off her husband's dick still doesn't seem like enough, especially just for cheating.
Well way back in 1600's, if you cheated on your husband you were publicly humiliated. But in the 1800's, immoral acts like adultery kind of stopped being criminalized.
i think the fact she is a woman plays into the sentence... one of the side effects of regarding women as less than men is that they are also thought of as harmless which makes even the real crimes seem silly to lock them away for long, because shes "harmless"
The fact that people are justifying her actions severely angers me..so what he cheated? If a man did this to his cheating wife,everyone would freak the fuck out.
Hell yeah
You go Bertha fuck dat hoe
He cheated